curran



E. T. CURRAN.

AIRPLANE RADIATOR.

APPLICATION mw Nov. la. 191s.

1,389,745. PantedSept. 6, 1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

annu/woz E. T. CURRAN.

MRPLANE RADIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. IB. I9Ia.

1,889,745. Patentedsept. 6,1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

awww/toa EDWARD TCI/RRA".

PatentodSept. 6,1921.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

E. T. CURRAN.

AIRPLANE RADIATOR.

APPLICATION min uov.1a. 191s.

E. T. CURRAN.

AIRPLANE RADIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED IIoII. I8, 19m.

1,389,745. PatentedSept. 6, 1921.

gmwmtoz ffm/4R0 Tva/IRAN.

-..UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

,j Y z, c mwann T. omen, lor' Dn'rzaorr, MICHIGAN.

ABPLANEBDIATOB.

Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michian, have invented a certain newand useful provement in Airplane-Radiators, and dei clue the followingto be .a full, clear, and

exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it to make and use the same, reference omg;I had to theaccompanying drawings, Whic form a part of this specification.

My intention relates to radiators adapted tofbe for high power airplanesalthough thefimprovements here may be used for any internal combustionengine that is necessary to vbe water cooled. It is well known that;airplane engines pass through greatranges of temperature, are subject tovery high and severe air currents due to the speed ofthe airplanaandthat consequently great flexibility as tocooling is required in them'andalso that they shall be made in the strongest'y manner, and that theyshall not be liable to injury by freezing.

It is further well known that soldered joints even in automobileconstruction are uite unreliable and the breaking away of t em, willcause frequent leaks. This defect is enormously exaggerated in airplanesowing to the severe service which the radiator' thereof must undergo. k

My invention has for its object the production of a radiator in whichthe seams and joints'can'be welded by gas or electricity of such: shapeas to conform to airplane arrangements tothe best advantage, capable ofadjustment .to suit various conditions-of atmosphere, 2 aiiord amplecooling means necessary and by adjustments to 'modify `such means as maybe desired or necessary,

and thus at ornceaccomplish4 all the requirementsro ylp. successfulradiator for airplane service though notrlimited to ,such service) andthusremove. all of the difficulties that have heretofore experienced.

. To aornplish these purposes I use the iighatmm 4or ma capable of wage.nously welding with a peculiar arrangement of the rts'to permitsuchwelding so that when the parteA are welded together they becoip'a.homo ecus` unit; the steel so used when .the i,ra iator is finished istreated inside'and ,outside by a rust proofing process whichprolongsitslife and for this purpose Speciflcation of Letters Patent.

Application lled November 18, 1918. Serial No. 262,951.

any of the well known rust prooin process mfy be used, even copper orzinc p ating.

n the drawing:

,Figure 1 is a front View of the radiator.

2 is a side view.

Flg. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line X-X of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the radiator detached. f

Fig. 5 is an enlarged front view of the radiator tubes on a section Y-Yof Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a viewv on an enlarged scale of a portion of Fig. 3 showing apreferred form of water tubes and their relation to the other parts ofthe radiator more clearly.

Fig. 7 1s a vertical sectional view on the line W-W of Fig. 2, partiallysectioned to show the interior of the header tanks at top and bottom.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the ,arrangement of the shutters andalso of one of the water tubes.

Fig. 9 illustrates the mode of assembling preparatory to welding.

Flg. 10 1s a sectional view through any one of the tubes showing therelation of the tanks to the tubes.

Fig. 11 is a sectional View horizontally through the radiator showingthe method of welding the water tubes to each other and to the header.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one of the water tubes showing the endflanged preparatory to welding.

Fig. 13 is a front View of the radiator with the shutters removed.

vFig. 14 is a vertical section of Fig. 13 on the line X-X'.

Fi 15 is a cross section of Fig. 13 on the line 2-X2.

Similar letters refer to similar parts.`

In the drawings A represents the outer shell, A is the outer portion ofthe top header tank throu h which the water tubes communicate, and i isthe bottom tank. A3 is the usual filling hole. Vertical rods or tubes,which may be used as water tubes, B B extend from top to bottom andthere are two communications with water spaces. In the center at C isthe usual open space for the propeller shaft of an airplane, which spacecould be omitted and tubes or rods B B could be extended entirelythrough the radiator from end to end. C is a water tank spacesurrounding the opening C andextending tubes as B.l B communicate withthis Water tank or space C at the topor bottom thereof. Fig. 3 is across section of thisy arrangement on the line X--X of Fig. l,v asstated. and shows that the side, walls ofthe radiator are preferablyhollow at B3 and also communicate with the top tankV A and bottomV tankA2. The n ose presented to the atmosphere in cross section is of theshape shown in Fig. 3. Upon the tubes or rods B B are mounted a seriesof vanes B* tbeing pivoted or swiveled thereon as shown moreparticularly in F ig. 6. These vanes are arranged in two series and whenopen, as shown,y in Fig. 6, allord an uninterrupted passagefor the airthrough the bottom of the radiator. One-halt` of these areunited by avcrossrod or chain B5 and this is carried back to the raviatorsseatwithin convenientrange whereby he isv enabled to close the vanes uponthe side ofthe radiator to which the line is attached.- A

- similar connection is shown at B7 upon the other side of the radiatorso that either half of -the radiator may be kclosed oif or partiallyvclosed off at' will, or the vanes may he entirely shut off against therods or tubes B or B against the resistance oftheatmosphere when theairplane is in motion by simply "loosening upg'by4 letting go of thelines B6 B7 the air-pressure will openv the shutters B4 to the positionshown in Fig .-5'. By thisr means the flow ofr air can be regulated tothe airplane or shut oil' entirely.

J ust behind this series of tubes or rods and shutters is a series offlattened water 'tubes as shown in the enlargement Fig. 6. Thesewatertubes are lettered D D. As shown in Fig. 3, those'in the center ofthe airplane are wider in cross section than those at the edge. They aremade by taking strips `of sheet steel, bending them over at D',bringving the further edges together, and vwelding them together at D2the point otjunction, flattening them so as to leave a very narrow spacebetween the walls and therefore a very thin sheetof water therein. Thewater space however is a trifle wider at oneside of the tube or'wate'rplate than it is at the weldedside and. these are preferably arrangedalternately,v as shown in Fig. l6, forming'water Vcolumns vreaching fromthe header or tank A down to the tankv A2 except as they are interruptedin the center of the radiator where they are wider. They reach fromthetank 'A' tothe tank C and from the tank A2 to the tank C vbeinginterrupted for the pur-pose of allowing the orifices C to exist.

yAs man-yor these flattened tubes as can be inserted andafford' 'airspace are provided. f

They are welded into the Vheader walls of the tank A', 'header walls foftank A'and the walls of the tank The side W'alls'of the flattened'tubes' may be corrugated ifdesired. The Corrugatiohs however willincrease the amount of surface and somewhat impedethe circulation of theatmosphere. A perspective view vof one of'these tubes 1s lshown as apartof Fig. 8 and also a perspectiveview of the shutters. Upon theisideWalls of theseftubes are welded small knobs or projections D5. Theseprojections are hori the purpose of stayingthe side walls with respectto the adj acenty tubes and preventing their expansion sufhciently tocause the air passage between the tubes to close. There would be somespring to the side walls but in case of pressure the side walls mighteX- -pand so that the air passage or passages would close and when thepressure Vwas re-` moved the `would return to their original Y shape.y lhile it would be. mechanically practicable to form knobs by rivetingvthem through the side walls, such construction would result in dangerof leakage byeither corrosion or loosening ofthe knobs orlof s It isobviously veryA diflicult to autogenously Weldan article that is ascomplicated in `respect to the'number of pointsV tov 'be welded as theradiator of the type described. I have devised a system'of welding whichaccomplishes ,the purpose ofv constructing such a radiator inthesimplest and most eflicient manner.. I have illustrated. such system inFigs. 9, 10, 11 Iand 12.v In Fig. 12' I' have shown one of the WatertubesBY with an outwardly flanged vvupper 'end b' o.Y

The tubeswith these iiangedl ends,.it will be understood, will bebrought together at top and `bottom and'be held with the edges ofthefianged end in juxtaposition. In

Fig. 9l I'have shown three of these so arranged and several. of, vthemshownin section as assembled in the radiator in Fig. 11. The `edges B2of these flanged'ends are brought together as stated to formr a seriesof flattened .tubes with 4ends Welded together and forming spaces`double the Width.

of the flanges between the tubes. The tubes on each-side arethusarranged. F lat plates 2l'71 3 have rectangular spaces 4-5 cutlin ,t

em` which are slightly narrower thanithe Vwidth or diameter of thetubeas shown in l Fig. 10.These platesare then weldedfto 1'30 each corner'Aformed by the juxtaposition of the tubes and upon the plates isthereupon built afterward a tank having side walls 5 and cover 6. Thelower tank A2 is formed u in theY same manner. Joints forming t ematerial of the tank are also welded in the same manner. This forms aradiator proper with the water tubes communicating with the tanks thusformed and the air spaces bein maintained between the tubes as Stated. yf course, there is nothing new in formin up a tank b welding but itwould certainly be very iiiicult if not im ible to weld the tubes to thetank and I ow of no system exce t the peculiar one devised by me by whicsuch weldmg can be made. A stay sheet Bs forms a cut-out piecesurrounding the tubes and may also be Welded to the sides of the tubesor the tubes may be shortened and supported in themanner shown in Fig. 2by making `the tubes with a stay sheet and contin them by making aseries of tubes undernea the stay sheet as shown in Fig. 11. It isunnecessa to describe the specific detail as to-this ause the describmof one answers for all, there bein no di ference in the method ofuniting t e joints between the upper and lower end or between the endsand the stay sheet and it would needlessl extend description to statehow each is we ded in detail.

In Figs. 13, 14 and 15 I have shown a modification of the radiator inwhich the tubes, which are similar to, those shown in the former arearranged horizontally and wel ed to headers. he building up of this formis done the same as in building the former construction described. Thenest of tubes is arran ed in a jig with the flaring ends of the tubestouching and the ends are welded together. A perforated plate to engagethe corners of the tubes thus welded is also welded to the tubes, at thecorners of the tubes and the outer water header is built up on the plateby appropriate pieces thereto and a cover thereon in the same manner ashereinbefore described. In these drawings, Figs. 13, 14 and 15,20-20 arethe tubes. 21--22 are the headers; 23-24 are the top and bottom tankswhich are welded to the headers. 25 in Fig. 14 represents the shutterswhich are not shown in Fi 13. In Fig. 14 the parts are enlarge 26 beingthe water tank which surrounds the pole 27 for the propeller shaft.

28 is an inlet connecting with the engine and 29 the filling hole. Theshutters are controlled in the same manner exactly as heretoforedescribed. The mode of operation is the same as hereinbefore describedwith one exception, namely at 30 is a baiile plate closing oil the tank23 from the header 22. At 31 there is another baie plate inserted in theheader 21, and at 32 is another baiile plate inserted in the header 22,and at 33 is another baffle plate inserted in the header at the lowestwater tube above the water space 26, and at 34, is another baffle plateinserted in the header at the t0 most plate below the tank 26 and in t eheader 22. At 35 is the last baille plate inserted below the lowestWater tube in the header 21. The eil'ect of these is to compel thecirculation of the water in its descent through the water tubes on theleft of Fig. 13 that are above the bale late 31 and the circulation toreturn throug the tubes that are above the baiile plate 32 and also toreturn again through the tubes that are above the balile plate 33,returning again to the right hand side through the tubes that are abovethe bale plate 35. This compels a tortuous circulation of the water fromthe top of the radiator to the bottom and out through the manifold 24*as shown by the arrows.

What I claim is:

In a radiator, a series of water tubes formed with a beaded edge on oneside thereof, the other edge being united by welding, the two platesbeing wider apart at the beaded edge than at the welded edge, thealternate tubes being arranged obversely so that the welded edge of onewould be opposite the beaded edge of the adjacent one and the beadededge opposite the welded ed e, substantially as described.

n testimony whereof, I sign this specilication.

EDWARD T. CURRAN.

